2 Timothy 3 · Robertson's Word Pictures
1Know this (touto ginoske). See 1Co 11:3; Php 1:12 .
In the last days (en eschatais emerais). See Jas 5:3; 1Ti 4:1 .
Grievous (chalepo). Hard. See Eph 5:16 .
Shall come (enstesonta). Future middle of enistem (intransitive use), old verb, to stand on or be at hand, as in 2Th 2:2 .
2Lovers of self (philauto). Old compound adjective (philos, autos), here only in N.T.
Lovers of money (philarguro). Old compound adjective, in N.T. only here and Lu 16:14 . See 1Ti 6:10 .
Boastful (alazones). Old word for empty pretender, in N.T. only here and Ro 1:30 .
Haughty (uperephano). See also Ro 1:30 for this old word.
Railers (blasphemo). See 1Ti 1:13 .
Disobedient to parents (goneusin apeitheis). See Ro 1:30 .
Unthankful (acharisto). Old word, in N.T. only here and Lu 6:35 .
Unholy (anosio). See 1Ti 1:9 .
Without natural affection (astorgo). See Ro 1:31 .
3Implacable (aspondo). Truce-breakers. Old word, only here in N.T. though in MSS. in Ro 1:31 (from a privative and sponde, a libation).
Slanderers (diabolo). See 1Ti 3:11; Tit 2:3 .
Without self-control (akrateis). Old word (a privative and kratos), here only in N.T.
Fierce (anemero). Old word (a privative and emeros, tame), only here in N.T.
No lovers of good (aphilagatho). Found only here (a privative and philagathos, for which see Tit 1:8 ). See also Php 4:8 . A papyrus describes Antoninus as philagathos and has aphilokagathia.
4Traitors (prodota). Old word (from prodidom), in N.T. only here, Lu 6:16; Ac 7:52 .
Headstrong (propeteis). Old word (from pro and pipto), falling forward, in N.T. only here and Ac 19:36 .
Puffed up (tetuphomeno). Perfect passive participle of tuphoo. See 1Ti 3:6 .
Lovers of pleasure (philedono). Literary Koine word (philos, edone), only here in N.T.
Lovers of God (philotheo). Old word (philos, theos), only here in N.T.
5A form of godliness (morphosin eusebeias). For morphosin, see Ro 2:20 . The outward shape without the reality.
Having denied (ernemeno). Perfect middle participle of arneoma (see 2:12f. ).
Power (dunamin). See 1Co 4:20 . See Ro 1:29-31 for similar description.
Turn away (apotrepou). Present middle (direct) imperative of apotrepo, "turn thyself away from." Old verb, only here in N.T. See IV Macc. 1:33.
6That creep (o endunontes). Old and common verb (also enduo) either to put on (1Th 5:8 ) or to enter (to slip in by insinuation, as here). See same idea in Jude 1:4 (pareiseduesan), 2 Peter 2:1 (pareisaxousin), Ga 2:4 (pareiselthon and pareisaktous). These stealthy "creepers" are pictured also in Tit 1:11 .
Take captive (aichmalotizontes). "Taking captive." Present active participle of aichmalotizo, for which see 2Co 10:5; Ro 7:23 .
Silly women (gunaikaria). Literally, "little women" (diminutive of gune), found in Diocles (comedian of 5 century B.C.) and in Epictetus. The word here is neuter (grammatical gender) plural. Used contemptuously here (only N.T. example). Ramsay suggests "society ladies." It is amazing how gullible some women are with religious charlatans who pose as exponents of "new thought."
Laden with sins (sesoreumena amartiais). Perfect passive participle of soreuo, old word from Aristotle down (from soros, a heap) to heap up. In N.T. only here and Ro 12:20 . Associative instrumental case amartiais.
Divers (poikilais). Many coloured. See Tit 3:3 . One has only to recall Schweinfurth, the false Messiah of forty odd years ago with his "heavenly harem" in Illinois and the recent infamous "House of David" in Michigan to understand how these Gnostic cults led women into licentiousness under the guise of religion or of liberty. The priestesses of Aphrodite and of Isis were illustrations ready to hand. Agomena (present passive participle) means "continually led astray or from time to time."
7Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (medepote eis epignosin aletheias elthein dunamena). Pathetic picture of these hypnotized women without intellectual power to cut through the fog of words and, though always learning scraps of things, they never come into the full knowledge (epignosin) of the truth in Christ. And yet they even pride themselves on belonging to the intelligentsia!
8Like as (on tropon). "In which manner." Adverbial accusative and incorporation of the antecedent tropon into the relative clause.
Jannes and Jambres (Iannes ka Iambres). Traditional names of the magicians who withstood Moses (Targum of Jonathan on Ex 7:11 ).
Withstood (antestesan). Second aorist active (intransitive) of anthistem, to stand against, "they stood against" (with dative Mouse). Same word used of Elymas in Ac 13:8 and repeated here anthistanta (present middle indicative). Paul here pictures the seducers of the gunaikaria above.
Corrupted in mind (katephtharmeno ton noun). Perfect passive participle of kataphtheiro, old compound, in N.T. only here in critical text. See 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 6:5 for diaphtheiro. The accusative noun is retained in the passive.
Reprobate (adokimo). See 1Co 9:27; Tit 1:16 . They had renounced their trust (pistin) in Christ.
9They shall proceed no further (ou prokopsousin ep pleion). Future active of prokopto. See 2:16.
Folly (anoia). Old word (from anoos, a privative and nous), want of sense, here only in N.T.
Evident (ekdelos). Old word (ek, delos, outstanding), here only in N.T.
Theirs (ekeinon). Of Jannes and Jambres (Ex 7:12 ).
10Didst follow (parekolouthesas). First aorist active indicative of parakoloutheo, for which see 1Ti 4:6 . Some MSS. have perfect active parekolouthekas (thou hast followed). Nine associative-instrumental cases here after the verb ( teaching , didaskalia, Ro 12:7 ;
conduct , agoge, old word here only in N.T.;
purpose , prothese, Ro 8:28 ;
faith , piste, 1Th 3:6 ;
longsuffering , makrothumia, Col 1:11 ;
persecutions , diogmois, 2Th 1:4 ;
sufferings , pathemasin, 2Co 1:6f. ). The two last items belong to verse 11.
11What things befell me (oia mo egeneto). Qualitative relative (oia) referring to actual experiences of Paul (egeneto, second aorist middle indicative of ginoma) more fully described in 2Co 11:30-33 . The Acts of the Apostles tell of his experiences in Antioch in Pisidia (Ac 13:14,45,50 ), in Iconium (Ac 14:1-5 ), in Lystra (Ac 14:6-19 ). See also Ga 2:11 .
What persecutions I endured (oious diogmous upenenka). Qualitative relative again with diogmous. The verb is first aorist active indicative of upophero, old verb, to bear under as in 1Co 10:13 .
Delivered me (me erusato). First aorist middle of ruoma, old verb, with ek here as in 1Th 1:10 . Used again of the Lord Jesus in 4:18.
12That would live godly (o thelontes zein eusebos). "Those who desire (will, determine) to live godly." Paul does not regard his experience as peculiar, but only part of the price of loyal service to Christ.
Shall suffer persecution (diochthesonta). Future passive of dioko, "shall be persecuted" (shall be hunted as wild beasts).
13Impostors (goetes). Old word from wailers (goao, to bewail), professional mourners, deceivers, jugglers. Here only in the N.T. Modern impostors know all the tricks of the trade.
Shall wax worse and worse (prokopsousin ep to cheiron). "Shall cut forward to the worse stage." See 2:16 for prokopto. Cheiron is comparative of kakos, "to the worse than now."
Deceiving and being deceived (planontes ka planomeno). Present active and present passive participles of planao. The tragedy of it all is that these seducers are able to deceive others as well as themselves.
14But abide thou (su de mene). Emphatic contrast (su de), "But thou." Present active imperative of meno, common verb, to remain.
In the things which (en ois). The antecedent to ois is not expressed ("in which things") and the relative is attracted from a accusative with emathes (didst learn, second aorist active indicative of manthano) to the case of the unexpressed antecedent (locative with en).
Hast been assured of (epistothes). First aorist passive indicative of pistoo, old verb (from pistos, faithful), to make reliable, only here in N.T.
Knowing from whom (eidos para tinon). Second perfect active participle of oida. Note tinon (ablative case after para in an indirect question). The list included the O.T. prophets, Paul, Eunice, Lois. There ought to be moral authority in such personages.
15From a babe (apo brephous). Only here in the Pastorals. This teaching from the fifth year, covering the whole of Timothy's recollections. See Mr 9:21 ek paidiothen, from a child.
Thou has known (oidas). Present active indicative, progressive perfect reaching from a babe till now. Would that Christian parents took like pains today.
The sacred writings (iera grammata). "Sacred writings" or "Holy Scriptures." Here alone in N.T., though in Josephus (Proem to Ant. 3; Apion 1, etc.) and in Philo. The adjective ieros occurs in 1Co 9:13 of the temple worship, and gramma in contrast to pneuma in 2Co 3:6f.; Ro 2:29 and in Joh 5:47 of Moses' writings, in Ac 28:21 of an epistle, in Ga 6:11 of letters (characters). In Ephesus there were Ephesia grammata that were bebela (Ac 19:19 ), not iera.
To make thee wise (se sophisa). First aorist active infinitive of sophizo, old verb (from sophos), in N.T. only here, and 2 Peter 1:16 .
Which is in (tes en). Common idiom with the article, "the in." The use of the Scriptures was not magic, but of value when used "through faith that is in Christ Jesus."
16Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable (pasa graphe theopneustos ka ophelimos). There are two matters of doubt in this clause. One is the absence of the article e before graphe, whether that makes it mean "every scripture" or "all scripture" as of necessity if present. Unfortunately, there are examples both ways with both pas and graphe. Twice we find graphe in the singular without the article and yet definite (1Pe 2:6; 2 Peter 1:20 ). We have pas Israel (Ro 11:26 ) for all Israel (Robertson, Grammar, p. 772). So far as the grammatical usage goes, one can render here either "all scripture" or "every scripture." There is no copula (estin) in the Greek and so one has to insert it either before the ka or after it. If before, as is more natural, then the meaning is: "All scripture (or every scripture) is inspired of God and profitable." In this form there is a definite assertion of inspiration. That can be true also of the second way, making "inspired of God" descriptive of "every scripture," and putting estin (is) after ka: "All scripture (or every scripture), inspired of God, is also profitable."
Inspired of God (theopneustos). "God-breathed." Late word (Plutarch) here only in N.T. Perhaps in contrast to the commandments of men in Tit 1:14 .
Profitable (ophelimos). See 1Ti 4:8 . See Ro 15:4 . Four examples of pros (facing, with a view to, for): didaskalian, teaching; elegmon, reproof, in LXX and here only in N.T.; epanorthosin, correction, old word, from epanorthoo, to set up straight in addition, here only in N.T., with which compare epidiorthoo in Tit 1:5 ; paideian, instruction, with which compare Eph 6:4 .
17The man of God (o tou theou anthropos). See 1Ti 6:11 .
May be complete (ina e artios). Final clause with ina and present subjunctive of eim. Artios is old word (from root aro, to fit), specially adapted, here only in N.T.
Furnished completely (exertismenos). Perfect passive participle of exartizo, rare verb, to furnish (fit) fully (perfective use of ex), in N.T. only here and Ac 21:5 . In Josephus. For katartizo, see Lu 6:40; 2Co 13:11 .
2 Timothy 4